Six years after MMRDA submitted designs for a 183-metre rail over-bridge, it is still awaiting permissions from the Western Railways.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which started the construction of metro in 2008 is expected to finish it by March 2012 as per agreement. However, six years after it submitted the designs for a 183-metre rail over-bridge, it is still awaiting permissions from the Western Railways. Sources in the authority have told DNA that WR is taking ages to give the required permission to start the work for the bridge- metro’s crucial link over WR suburban lines.
According to details available with DNA, the first approval for the General Agreement Drawing (GAD) was given in August 2005. After that, as per the documents, there were at least 40 communications, meetings and discussions between the officials of the railways, MMRDA as well as the Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL), the Reliance Infrastructure-led consortium, which is constructing the 11-km-long route.
When asked about the progress of the work, MMRDA additional metropolitan commissioner SVR Srinivas said that the authority and MMOPL had done their job. “We have sent all the necessary details to the railway authorities and we are awaiting the final approval,” said Srinivas.
However, senior officials in the authority were upset with the snail pace of the approvals by the railways.
“The railways are simply not quick enough to give us the permissions. Work for the otherwise tiny portion of 183 metre is delayed due to this. What is even more unfortunate is that this delay is beyond our control. Chief secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad, who also holds the additional charge of MMRDA commissioner, has already spoken to the WR general manager. However, things have not moved the way we expected them to,” said a top MMRDA official requesting anonymity.
He further said that a lot of time was wasted by railways in deciding whether the agreement to go ahead for the bridge should be bipartite (between MMRDA and WR) or Tripartite (between WR, MMRDA and MMOPL).
However, WR chief public officer Sharat Chandrayan had a different version. “We have given preliminary approvals for initial work to be carried out. The final designs have been sent by the authority recently. Now there are two options with us. If the designs are perfect, then the final approvals can be given in next 15-20 days. However, if there are some hassles or issues, then it may take longer for the final approval,” said Chandrayan.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}